I took these cell phone videos about two weeks ago. My favorite boat more vandalized than the last time I laid my sympathetic eyes on it: beaten and stripped by elements of humans and weather. I returned yesterday, thinking it would welcome me as usual. But yesterday was different. I turned left on Noriega, crossed Great Highway and expected to see the 3655 foot boat in the horizon once my eyes reached past the top of the staircase column but to my surprise…nothing, nada, zip! The familiar white and bare boat that I had grown accustomed to as an Ocean Beach fixture was gone.
I panned a 180 several times looking like a tennis fan standing on the bleachers watching a Wimbledon match. My eyes narrowed, my face tightened and my heart raced. Question marks raced out of my head. My eyes zig zagged and darted up and down the beach for any signs or remnants of the boat: rudder, wood planks, or an anchor. Zero. I jogged north towards Lincoln, a and made a U turn to Sloat Blvd but came up disappointed and empty. Maybe the Coast Guard removed it? I had left messages on a Coast Guard rep’s voice mail about the boat’s description and location but they never returned my call. I assume they did answer it - hook, line and sinker.
I miss the boat. I miss seeing its odd and random presence on the edge of the shoreline. I miss seeing curious people hovering around the boat, taking pictures, looking inside the cabin, asking questions - the Outer Sunset’s conversation piece. The lone bad boat is no more but the questions remain. Where did it come from? It's California identification was visible but what city? Whose boat was it? How many people were on board? Did they survive? What was the extent of their injuries, if any? How and why did it stay anchored there for the one month I first laid my eyes on it? It could have been there much longer. There were no signs for recovery. Where is it now?
Someone made a comment, and I apologize for accidentally deleting it so I hope he/she returns to give more feedback, that the boat was part of a botched drug smuggling scheme.It allegedly landed on shore in the middle of the night, sometime before New Years. The occupants were unharmed and ditched the boat. However sexy and intriguing this sounds, the blogger did note that this could be speculative.
Speculative, curious, mysterious, rare – an only in San Francisco story that does not have an ending.
***Stay tuned. Will post video soon!***
I panned a 180 several times looking like a tennis fan standing on the bleachers watching a Wimbledon match. My eyes narrowed, my face tightened and my heart raced. Question marks raced out of my head. My eyes zig zagged and darted up and down the beach for any signs or remnants of the boat: rudder, wood planks, or an anchor. Zero. I jogged north towards Lincoln, a and made a U turn to Sloat Blvd but came up disappointed and empty. Maybe the Coast Guard removed it? I had left messages on a Coast Guard rep’s voice mail about the boat’s description and location but they never returned my call. I assume they did answer it - hook, line and sinker.
I miss the boat. I miss seeing its odd and random presence on the edge of the shoreline. I miss seeing curious people hovering around the boat, taking pictures, looking inside the cabin, asking questions - the Outer Sunset’s conversation piece. The lone bad boat is no more but the questions remain. Where did it come from? It's California identification was visible but what city? Whose boat was it? How many people were on board? Did they survive? What was the extent of their injuries, if any? How and why did it stay anchored there for the one month I first laid my eyes on it? It could have been there much longer. There were no signs for recovery. Where is it now?
Someone made a comment, and I apologize for accidentally deleting it so I hope he/she returns to give more feedback, that the boat was part of a botched drug smuggling scheme.It allegedly landed on shore in the middle of the night, sometime before New Years. The occupants were unharmed and ditched the boat. However sexy and intriguing this sounds, the blogger did note that this could be speculative.
Speculative, curious, mysterious, rare – an only in San Francisco story that does not have an ending.
***Stay tuned. Will post video soon!***
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